Average
by PhoenixGryffin
Summary: It's the year of the 74th annual Hunger Games. From District 4, Sayleen Linane, a seemingly average girl, is picked as one of the tributes. Her story is one that is often looked over in favor of others, but it bears importance as well. This is her story. Rated T because...well, it's the Hunger Games. People get killed.
1. May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor

**Hi! This is my first Hunger Games fanfiction, and it's also my first "typical" fic (i/e, it's not a parody of a play or a poem, like my other two). In case you didn't know, the main character is Sayleen Linane, the girl from District 4 in the 74th Hunger Games. This is her story.**

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"Sayleen!"

I blink, not wanting to get out of bed.

"Sayleen Linane, you've got to get up now!"

For a moment I don't see a reason why. Why can't I just sleep in? I'm so tired from all that training-

Training. Right. How could I have forgotten? Today's the day it begins. The 74th annual Hunger Games. And this year I will be the sole female tribute from District 4.

I remember my name being drawn, being in shock, walking up to the stage...

Saying goodbye. To my parents, even though they were usually so "busy" that I never saw them anyway. To my older brother, Lang, who at eighteen was the real head of our family. To my little sisters, Conchelle, who was thirteen, and Trina, who was nine. To my friends.

"May the odds be ever in your favor." everyone said. Right. In the favor of a sixteen-year old girl. At least I had one thing going for me. I was from District 4. I would be in with the "Careers", as other districts called them.

"Sayleen!" I am roughly shaken. I'm certainly awake now. I blink and sit up, staring into the heavily surged face of Cassio, my stylist.

"You slept in," he says, almost accusingly. "We've only got ten minutes until the hovercraft comes to pick you up!"

I stare at him in shock. "T-ten minutes?" I glance over at my clock to confirm it, and sure enough, clocks don't lie.

Cassio gives me a simple shift to wear, and we race onto the roof just in time to see the hovercraft arrive. A ladder drops down from it. I hesitantly walk over to the ladder and start to climb-but instantly it's like I'm frozen. The ladder is withdrawn into the hovercraft with me stuck to it.

A woman walks over to me, holding a very large syringe. I don't like needles-I try to move away from it, but I'm still stuck to the ladder.

"This is your tracker. Stay still while I place it," says the woman, smiling.

She inserts the needle into my skin and I feel a sharp stab of pain as the tracker is inserted. As soon as the woman leaves, the ladder releases me. I rub my arm ruefully until the pain from the injection is gone. There's still a small bump on my arm where the tracker was inserted, though.

Breakfast is served and it looks delicious as usual. I'm so nervous that I think I won't be able to eat. To my surprise, once I start eating, I can't stop and I practically gorge myself until I feel like I'm going to fall over.

Once I'm done with breakfast, the windows blacken. We must be getting close. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut and try to think about anything but the approaching Games. At least I would have the Careers with me...

Marvel was District 1's male tribute. He didn't seem that smart, but he seemed strong, and good with weapons.

Glimmer was District 1's female tribute. She and I had both scored a seven in our private sessions with the Gamemakers, which was the lowest score out of all of our group. She seemed vain, but nice enough.

Cato was District 2's male tribute. He was the toughest, strongest, and probably the meanest out of all of us. I was just glad he was my ally, and not my enemy.

Clove was the District 2 female, and she seemed like a female version of Cato, except she preferred knives to swords.

Candor was the male tribute from my district. He was muscular, and fairly handsome with blond hair and sea-green eyes-though of course he wasn't a Finnick Odair by any means. I knew him, but not very well.

And then there was me. Sayleen Linane. I was sixteen, with light brown hair and the typical green eyes of our district. In short, I was average, which wasn't a good thing if you were trying to get sponsors.

I am interrupted from my reverie by a faint jolt. The hovercraft has landed.

Cassio and I go back to the ladder, and it takes us to the underground Launch Room. I quickly shower, brush my hair, and change into the outfit that's been set out, as well as my district token, a seashell necklace. When I look at myself wearing the outfit, I realize that this is it. This is what I'll be wearing into the arena.

I don't talk to Cassio at all. I don't think I can talk anymore. I wonder if that's possible-for someone to simply shut down, to stop talking from sheer terror. If it is, it's probably happened to a tribute before. And that tribute probably died. At least I have the Careers with me. I don't know how I would survive without them.

Suddenly, Cassio says, "It's time for you to go, Sayleen."

Go? What does he...oh. I'm supposed to get into that glass tube over there.

For a moment, I briefly consider not doing it. Refusing to get in. Refusing to play this Game. But I know that isn't an option. So I shakily step into the tube, a glass cylinder lowers around me, and it carries me up...

I blink in the bright sunlight. Then I hear it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the 74th annual Hunger Games begin!"

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**Did you like it? Reviews are always appreciated :)**


	2. The Games Begin

**And now for the second chapter. The Games begin.**

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I glance around fervently. I'm supposed to find the other Careers before the gong rings, so that I know where everyone is, how close they are to the Cornucopia. I squint in the sunlight, being careful not to move an inch. Glimmer's right next to me, so that was easy enough. Cato's three to my left. Marvel's about six to my right. Clove...oh, Clove is at the very end of the line. But where's Candor? I can't find him. Stupid sunlight!

I search faster now, starting to panic. There's a boy with blond hair-oh, it's not Candor. It's just that stupid kid in love from District 12. After scanning the line once more, I finally see Candor, right next to Thresh from District 11. Thank goodness I found him. I relax-and as I do so, the gong rings.

My panic returns as I hesitate for a split second, unsure what to do. Glimmer seems to have the same idea. Fortunately for us, the other Careers have already cleared a sort of pathway for us, and we race after them.

The center of the bloodbath is terrifying, to put it mildly. But I know that we've got to fight to keep these supplies. So I pick up a very long knife-well, it's actually more of a sword-to protect myself. I'm still not quite sure what I'm supposed to be doing, but luckily Cato comes to the rescue.

"You-and Glimmer...guard the Cornucopia," he says, not even pausing as he bashes in the head of the District 7 boy.

I don't need any more encouragement. I quickly run over to the mouth of the Cornucopia, slashing haphazardly with my knife at whoever dares get in my way. Once I am there, I feel a lot safer with something at my back, even if that something is a metal sculpture devoid of life entirely. I have just slashed the District 8 girl in the arm with my knife when Glimmer arrives, holding a silver bow with arrows to match. She fires a few. She's alright at shooting-much better than me, I'm sure-but still...her skills need work. I find myself wondering how she got that seven. It sure wasn't because of archery, I can guarantee that.

We slash and shoot in a strange sort of daze until finally it seems like most of our enemies have either run away or been killed-most of them by Cato. Did I mention how glad I was to be his ally?

The District 12 boy is talking with Marvel. Wait...talking? With Marvel? Yes, District 12 is talking to Marvel. What's going on here?

I start to walk over to them but am distracted by a flash of movement on my right side. I turn-

And the District 6 boy has a knife out-

And he runs-

Toward Candor-

He plunges the knife deep into Candor's neck. All I can do is scream.

Cato, however, has lightning-fast reflexes. He stabs the District 6 boy through the heart with a sword, and the boy falls to the ground, immediately dead.

"Candor! CANDOR!" I scream as I run over to him. But I know...I know once I reach him, see his eyes open and glassy, the way his chest is still. I know, but it still comes as a shock when Cato says it.

"He's dead, Sayleen."

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**Please review! :D Hopefully I'll be able to update soon.**


	3. Still Six Careers

**Sorry for the slight delay. Now that summer school is over (yay!) I'll have more time for this story, as well as my other one that I'm also working on. But so here is part 3 of Sayleen's story...**

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I scream. It is a high-pitched scream that gives no mercy to those around it.

"He's dead! I KNOW he's dead! And you just...just let him die!" I yell at Cato with no concern, none at all, for my personal safety.

Cato looks mad at this. "No I didn't! I came over as soon as I could."

Marvel walks over and sees what's going on. "Relax, Sayleen. It's the Hunger Games. People die. That's the point. Get over it."

I know he's telling the truth, but it really doesn't make me feel any better. Candor was my district partner. He was better-looking than me, stronger...in all likelihood, he had stood a much better chance of winning the Games than I did. And now he was gone. If he died on the first day, how is it possible that I'm still alive? And how much longer will I be alive anyway?

We all stand there in silence for a few moments, but then the cannon fires and it brings us all back to our senses. None of us, not even the District 12 boy, moves an inch as more cannons fire. We all count them silently.

...Nine...

Ten...

Eleven.

Eleven cannons. Eleven dead, killed on the first day. Thirteen are left.

I do a quick headcount. Of the thirteen, six of us are in the Career pack. Wait a minute...six?

Yes, District 12 is still here, standing awkwardly to the side as if he doesn't belong here. Too right he doesn't.

"What the hell is he doing here?" I ask while pointing at the boy from 12, perhaps yelling a bit harsher than I meant to. Marvel answers first.

"Um...well...he wanted to join us and I said okay..." he trails off as Cato glares at him. Clearly, Cato does not like having his authority as leader challenged. He beckons all of us over to the side of the Cornucopia, where District 12 can't hear us. Once there, he practically starts spitting fire.

"Marvel, why did you listen to him? We can't trust him, he's from District 12! He's that kid who's hopelessly in love, remember? Quick, let's kill him right now and we can forget this ever-"

"Wait." It's Clove, Cato's district partner-and the only one who can ever get away with interrupting him. "What if we did let Lover Boy join us? He might lead us to his girlfriend. Once he does, we can kill 'em both. Two birds with one stone, you might say. " She smirks and I'm once again glad that I'm not her enemy.

"But what if he doesn't?" asks Cato.

Clove shrugs. "Then we just kill him. Once he's gotten-y'know, too old-fashioned for us. Come on, how hard do you think it'll be?"

She has a point. We all end up agreeing on the plan. Once we have, we return over to the District 12 boy, Cato in the lead.

"Good news for you, er...what's your name?"

The District 12 boy warily responds, "Peeta."

Cato continues on like nothing has happened. "Whatever. But so anyway, we (he gestures toward all of us) have been conferring, and you seem a worthy ally. So...welcome."

Cato's such a smooth talker. On the outside, he seems like a well-mannered, well-educated, and well-bred youth. But I've seen him kill. I know what he's like inside. If this Peeta kid knew that, maybe he wouldn't have been so eager to join us.

Although if that's true, then why am I here?

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**Please review! ;)**


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